The Staying Power of the Legislative Status Quo: Collective Choice in Canada's Parliament after Morgentaler

1997 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Flanagan

AbstractRational choice theory has drawn attention to the phenomenon of structure-induced equilibrium in situations of potential cycling. When there is no majority, first preference or Condorcet winner, the outcome is determined by agenda control and institutional rules of decision making. Within that context, the status quo has a special advantage because of the parliamentary amendment procedure, in which the status quo, as the default option to the bill in formal form, is not voted upon until the last stage. The unsuccessful attempts of the Canadian government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to respond legislatively to the Supreme Court's Morgentaler decision illustrate these general principles of rational choice. The government was unable to get legislation passed because, with cyclical configurations of opinion in both the House of Commons and the Senate, institutional rules, especially the order of voting required by the parliamentary amendment procedure, favoured the status quo.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-224
Author(s):  
Bayu Laksma Pradana

The reference dependent preference plays a significant role in individual choice behavior. Introducing a third option which is asymmetrical dominated to the dominating option can influence one’s decision. The status quo, endowment and attraction or decoy effect are the main noises. Such noises are  proof to counter the rational choice theory. This paper tries to observe the status quo and decoy effect. Existence of those two effects are examined in experimental observation with 32 respondents. Questionnaires are set for  respondents to dig information about how their answers contain choices. Two and three varies alternatives are presented to see  respondent choice feedback when a third inferior alternative is available. The result shows respondent tendency to switch options when status quo becomes a  reference point.


Sains Insani ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Ilyas Abdullah ◽  
Jamaie Hamil ◽  
Sity Daud

In the context of politics and elections in Terengganu, Malay community response against the non-dominant political party other than UMNO and PAS are less encouraging. This can be seen based on election results in Terengganu from 1959 until the year 2013. Although other parties such as the National Party, the Parti Melayu Semangat 46 (S46) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to participate and won several seats in elections in Terengganu, but support on the party is inconsistent as well as the support provided to the party UMNO and PAS. This factor driven by the level of development of the State of Terengganu, which slowly makes the approach of the campaign of a simple logic and approach for immediate consumption, are more easily accepted and practical in attracting the support of the people. The culture has played an important role in guaranteeing victory UMNO in Terengganu from the year 1961 until 1995 with so comfortable. Even so, the Malay political culture has changed the string of political unrest that occurred in 1998. The unrest has led to the rise of civil awareness. Reform movement aimed at alerting citizens formed to demand the freedom of better democracy, economic reforms and social changes also. Change of political culture in Malaysia post PRU to-10 can also be associated with rational choice theory. Malay society becomes more rational in particular in the context of the selection of leaders. Economic development will no longer be the sole factor in providing adherence to the ruler. Malays also impose certain conditions that must be evaluated and interpreted again before you give loyalty and support to the ruling. Malay community in Terengganu today no longer simply give their loyalty to the government but has changed by giving priority to matters that are not of a material such as good governance, administrative transparency, a fair and balanced development as well as other civil claims of a universal. Keywords: Rational Choice Theory, Malay Political Culture. ABSTRAK: Dalam konteks politik dan pilihan raya di Terengganu, sambutan masyarakat Melayu Terengganu terhadap parti politik bukan dominan selain UMNO dan PAS adalah kurang menggalakkan. Hal ini dapat dilihat berdasarkan keputusan pilihan raya di Terengganu dari tahun 1959 sehingga tahun 2013. Meskipun parti-parti lain seperti Parti Negara, Parti Melayu Semangat 46 (S46) dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) turut terlibat dan memenangi beberapa kerusi dalam pilihan raya di Terengganu, namun sokongan yang diberikan ke atas parti tersebut tidak konsisten sepertimana sokongan yang diberikan kepada parti UMNO dan PAS. Faktor ini banyak didorong oleh tahap pembangunan negeri Terengganu yang perlahan menjadikan pendekatan kempen yang bersifat simple logic dan pendekatan for immediate consumption lebih mudah diterima dan praktikal dalam menarik sokongan rakyat. Budaya tersebut telah memainkan peranan penting dalam menjamin kemenangan UMNO di Terengganu dari tahun 1961 sehingga 1995 dengan begitu selesa. Walaupun begitu, budaya politik Melayu telah berubah rentetan daripada pergolakan politik yang berlaku pada tahun 1998. Pergolakan tersebut telah membawa kepada kebangkitan kesedaran sivil. Gerakan Reformasi dibentuk bertujuan untuk menyedarkan rakyat untuk menuntut kebebasan demokrasi yang lebih baik, pembaharuan ekonomi dan juga perubahan social. Perubahan budaya politik di Malaysia pasca PRU ke-10 juga boleh dikaitkan dengan teori pilihan rasional. Masyarakat Melayu menjadi lebih rasional khususnya dalam konteks pemilihan pemimpin. Pembangunan ekonomi tidak lagi menjadi faktor tunggal dalam memberikan kepatuhan kepada pemerintah. Masyarakat Melayu turut mengenakan syarat-syarat tertentu yang perlu dinilai dan ditafsirkan semula sebelum memberikan ketaatsetiaan dan sokongan kepada pemerintah. Ketaatsetiaan tidak lagi diberikan secara semberono bahkan telah berubah daripada nilai materialis yang mementingkan kemewahan dan kemajuan kebendaan kepada kecenderungan baru dengan memberi keutamaan kepada perkara-perkara yang tidak bersifat materialis seperti urustadbir yang baik, ketelusan pentadbiran, pembangunan yang adil dan seimbang serta tuntutan-tuntutan siviliti lain yang bersifat sejagat. Kata kunci: Teori Pilihan Rasional, Budaya Politik Melayu.


OUGHTOPIA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-282
Author(s):  
In-Kyun Kim ◽  
Myeong-Geon Koh

Author(s):  
Kealeboga J Maphunye

This article examines South Africa's 20-year democracy by contextualising the roles of the 'small' political parties that contested South Africa's 2014 elections. Through the  prism  of South  Africa's  Constitution,  electoral legislation  and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, it examines these parties' roles in South Africa's democratisation; their influence,  if any, in parliament, and whether they play any role in South Africa's continental or international engagements. Based on a review of the extant literature, official documents,  legislation, media, secondary research, reports and the results of South Africa's elections, the article relies on game theory, rational choice theory and theories of democracy and democratic consolidation to examine 'small' political parties' roles in the country's political and legal systems. It concludes that the roles of 'small' parties in governance and democracy deserve greater recognition than is currently the case, but acknowledges the extreme difficulty experienced by the 'small'  parties in playing a significant role in democratic consolidation, given their formidable opponent in a one-party dominant system.


Author(s):  
Michael Moehler

This chapter discusses contractualist theories of justice that, although they rely explicitly on moral assumptions in the traditional understanding of morality, employ rational choice theory for the justification of principles of justice. In particular, the chapter focuses on the dispute between Rawls and Harsanyi about the correct choice of principles of justice in the original position. The chapter shows that there is no winner in the Rawls–Harsanyi dispute and, ultimately, formal methods alone cannot justify moral principles. This finding is significant for the development of the rational decision situation that serves for the derivation of the weak principle of universalization for the domain of pure instrumental morality.


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